Testing apparatus for meters.



L. R. BROOKS.

- TESTING APPARATUS FOR METERS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 17, 1912.

Patented Feb. 16, 1915.

I Y I *2, 4; M, MZL

LAWRENCE BRQOE, 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR ONE-HALF TO CHARLES W. WARD, OI? PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA:

TESTING- nrrnnarus non QKETERS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patgnted Fb 16 1915 Application med August 17, .1912. Serial No. 715,654..

the service. A number of different types of blocks have been provided for the connection of the service, load and meter wire terminals, which blocks have had conducting parts arranged in such manner as tofacilitate the testing of meters without interfering with the service. however have been more or less complicated and expensive attachments or separable appliances which occupy considerable space and require special inclosing cases to protect the circuits from accidentalcontact and the service corporation from theft of current.

The object of this invention is to providevery simple and cheap means which can be readily manipulated so as to permit testing without interfering with the customers service that is applicable to any of'the common types of meters now in usewithout requiring any change whatever of the meter proper and is inclosed within and sealed up by the ordinary parts of the meter casing This object is attained bydividing one of the conducting binding posts in the meter cas-v ing into two parts and insulating these parts from each other in such manner that the terminal of one of the circuit wires may be thrust in and secured to. both parts of said divided post,-'or may be drawn out and secured to only one of said post parts so as to form a gap in one side of the line, and in forming the circuit wire securing parts in such manner that the necessary connections of the lines and the testing instruments may be readily made for testing without interfering with the service. 4

Figure l of the accompanying drawings shows a front view, with a part broken away, of a common type of meter arranged accor 'ing to this invention. Fig. 2 shows a lon- LAWRENCE RAE necessary to test a ,cus-Y These prior blocks .7. and 8. These binding bridging the proper binding posts and.

shunting the current. around the meter so that there will be no disturbance with the service while the meter is being tested. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a plug that may be; used for connecting a testing apparatus lead to the bmding posts. Fig. 6 is a dia-' grammatlc representation of the circuits when the meter is being tested.

The meter illustrated in theviews is one of a common type. This meter has a metal casing 2 and the usual indicating dial 3.

.In the upper part of the casing is the terminal, binding post chamber 4.. In this chamber are arranged the binding posts 5, 6%

conducting material an are provided with binding screws 5*, 6, 7 8 and 5", 6 7 8",-

which are employed to secure the terminals of the service wires 16 and17 and the terminals of the load wires 18 and 19 that are thrust into the binding posts in-the usual manner.v The conducting binding post 8 is divided into two parts 8 and 8, these parts being held together in alinement but menlated from each other by; a bushing 9 of insulating material. The binding screw 8 passes through the bushing and into the opening in the part 8, and the binding screw 8 passes through thebushing and into the opening in the part 8 of the binding post 8Q When the terminal of, the load Lwire 19 is pushed way in and .is secured. by the screws 8 and 8", it connects both parts of the bind- I ing post in the usual manner. When these binding screws are-loosened, the'terminal of the load wire 19 maybe pulled out and then secured by tightening the binding screw 8 When in this condition the two conductin parts of this binding post are separated an insulated from each other so that there will I be agap in this side of the line,

Inorder to shunt the current past the meter so that a ,testmay be made without interferingwith the service to thecustomer, the binding post 5 is connected with the outer section ofthe blnd ngpost 8 by means postsare made 0 plug 10.jthat may be thrust on the binding of the bridge 12 which has a hollow spring screw "5 and a hollow spring plug 11 which may be thrust upon the binding screw 8 The hollow plug 11 is shown as made open at both ends so that after the binding post 5 has-been connected with the binding post 8 a screw driver may be inserted through the plug 11- for loosening and tightening the screw 5".

In the diagrammatic representation of the circuits illustrated in Fig. 6, the service Wires 16 and 17 lead from the generator 1.5 respectively to the binding posts 5 and 6 to which they are secured by the screws 5, 5" and 6, 6*. respectively from the binding posts 7 and 8 to the lights, motors or other apparatus of the customer. nected with the meter wires as usual.

When it is desired to test the meter the ordinary cover plate for the terminal chamher is removed and the bridge piece 12 is first placed in position by thrusting'the hollow plug 10 on the binding screw 5 and thrusting the hollow plug 11 on the binding screw 8*. binding post 5 with the binding post 8 and shunts the current around the meter. The screws S and 8" are then loosened and the load wire 19 is withdrawn from connection with the inner part 8 of the binding post 8, after which the screw 8 is tightened so as to secure the terminal of the service wire 19 to the outer part 8 of the binding post 8. This is accomplished by inserting a screw driver'through the open end of a hollow plug 11.

A testing apparatus comprising a testing meter 21 with the usual coils anda load box 22 are connected with the binding posts as indicated in Fig. 6, and the customers meter is tested and adjusted so that its registrations will correspond with those of the testing meter. The leads of the testing meter may be provided with flexible cord 13 having hollow spring plugs 14 that may be thrust upon the heads of the proper binding screws in the terminal chamber.

This invention is adapted to be used in connection with any of the common types of meters without any change in the construction of the current registering parts or in-= crease in the size of the casin A meter constructed accor ing to my invention canbe readily tested and adjusted without interfering in any way with the service. The change necessary to attain this end is -slight and the cost is small.- All the parts are contained within the regular meter casing so that they will be protected and sealed by the fastening of the usual ter- -minal chamber cover.

The invention claimed is: l. The combination of? a meter 'cag The load wires 18 and 19 lead The binding posts are con- This electrically connects the- .'minals of the service and load wires with the meter wires, andmeans for securing the service, load and meter wires to the binding posts, one of said binding posts being formed of two conducting parts that are alined with but insulated from each other in ,such manner that the terminal of one of the circuit wires may be thrust in and secured to both parts of saiddivided post or may be drawn out and secured to only one of said post parts so as to form a gap in one side of the line for testing purposes.

2. The combinatmn of a meter casing having. a terminal binding post chamber therein, conducting binding posts located in said chamber for the connection of the terminals of the service and load wires with the meter wires, one of said bing posts being formed of two conducting parts, an insulating bushing holding the conducting parts of the divided bushing separated but in alinement with each other, and means "for securing the service, load and meter wires to the binding posts in such manner that the terminal of one of the circuit wires may be thrust in and secured to 906th parts ct said divided post, or may be drawn out and cured to only one of said post parts so as to form a gap in one side of the line for testmg purposes.

3. The combination of a meter casing having a terminal binding post chamber such manner that the terminal of one of the circuit wires may be thrust in and secured to both parts of said divided post, or may n, l

be drawn out and secured to only one of said post parts so as to form a gap in one mole of the line, and testing instrument leads shunt connections may be applied to screw heads for testing purposes.

4C. In combination with the field coils of an electric meter, and a case having two compartments, one of said compartments 1H7 eluding. said ends, load and servlce leads,

means in the second compartment for connecting said service leads to two terminals of said field coils, fixed conducting members in said second compartment connected to the remaining terminals of said field coils, con

ducting devices leadingto theload extend ing from saidconducting members through ice an electric meter, and a case having two compartments, one of said compartments including said coils, load and service leads, means in the second compartment 'for connecting said service leads to two' terminals of said field coils, fixed conducting members in said second compartment eonnected to the remaining terminals of said field coils, conducting devices leading to the load 10 extending from said conducting members through a wall of said second compartment- In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set 15 my hand.

LAWRENCE RAE BROOKS.

Witnesses:

Gno. B. BLEMING, Jesse B. HELLER. 

